Improving the defensive line is going to be one of the Indianapolis Colts’ main priorities in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft.
The Colts lost former second-round draft pick Dayo Odeyingbo to the Chicago Bears in the first days of NFL free agency, leaving behind a massive roster gap at edge rusher. Thankfully, the Colts are expecting to find some help from last year’s first-round pick.
Laiatu Latu, who was the first defender selected in last year’s draft, finished his rookie season with four sacks, three forced fumbles, and 32 total tackles in 17 games played (one start). Despite a sluggish start statistically, coaches and fans alike feel Latu is poised for a major leap in year two.
“[Latu] does it the right way,” Steichen said. “The way he works, his work ethic is tremendous. I think you’ll see a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2. I think he had four (sacks) his rookie year, if we can get into double digits in Year 2 that’d be tremendous.”
Double digits would be a serious improvement for the 24-year-old, but it’s more than possible. Latu hit the 10-sack mark twice at the collegiate level, reaching 10.5 and 13 sacks for UCLA in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Despite the worries surrounding his neck injury and potential nervous system damage, the Colts took a chance on Latu with the 15th overall pick last year. His work ethic and elite speed and strength made him “the best rusher in the draft” in general manager Chris Ballard’s eyes.
“I think another year for growth for Latu is going to be a major plus for our team,” Ballard said.
According to Pro Football Focus, Latu’s 71.5 overall grade finished as the 45th best among 211 eligible edge rushers in the league. There’s not much more you could ask for from a rookie.
Latu played a total of 618 defensive snaps, the 43rd most in the league among edge rushers. Once he starts to play more snaps, Latu could develop into a serious threat, especially in Lou Anarumo’s creative defensive schemes.
